Supergirl:
Stupid movie or mistreated gem?
Ok. Let's face facts. I HATE this movie. It's proudly displayed in my worse movies ever made collection as one of the biggest loads of crap to ever be made. Just the thought of this movie makes me laugh because I think about all the bad acing. Bad Special Effects and the overall patheticness to the film.
Back in 2001, my dad found a copy of the film on DVD. I was looking at the cover and it said it was the International Version containing 10 extra minutes. I was kinda confused as I have never heard of International versions before then. I thought all film were released as the same everywhere in the world. And that films could only be changed when theres a directors cut. (That was before I got the internet)
Here's the story of Supergirl. (Condensed of course)
When Alexander Salkind bought the rights to do a Superman movie, they also got the rights to the character of Supergirl. Just in case they needed a sequel/spinoff. Well, turned out they did because Superman was so popular. They started producing Supergirl around the same time as Superman 3 was finishing filming.
(From wikipedia)Although the Salkinds financed the film completely on their own budget, Warner Bros. were still involved in the production as the studio owned the distribution rights to the film and its parent company, Warner Communications, was also the parent company of DC Comics, which held the original copyright. The entire film was shot, edited and overseen under the supervision of Warner Bros. However, shortly before the film's original Summer 1984 premiere date, Warner Bros. dropped the film in the US due to the disappointing critical and financial performance of Superman III the year before. The film proceeded to be released overseas, however, and received a Royal Film Premiere in the United Kingdom in July 1984.
In the U.S. Supergirl was later picked up by TriStar Pictures for holiday release in November 1984, though Tri-Star executives decided to edit the film for its North American release, cutting it from 124 minutes to 105 minutes. Critical reviews in the U.S. were poor, and although the film took the #1 slot at the North American box-office during its opening weekend,[12][13] it is widely considered to be a box office bomb after making only $14 million in North America.[14]
Now, the booklet that came with the DVD said the running time was cut to 114 mins. But regardless, you take something and cut anything from it, its going to suffer. Now, whether it's 10 minutes that Anchor Bay says it is or the 20 mins that wikipedia says, you can tell that this film was edited pooly. There's even some bad film jumps in the original home video version.
Speaking of which, here's some more from Wikipedia:
As previously mentioned, the American theatrical cut for Supergirl ran at 105 minutes. (Or 114. I dont have my VHS version near me to check.) Supergirl originally ran at 124 minutes in its European version. HBO, who was unhappy with the pan-and-scan transfer that U.S.A. Home Video had done, ordered distributor TriStar Pictures to create a new pan-and-scan print for its cable showings. After it reached network television in 1987, ABC edited the movie down to 92 minutes. The 92 minute version that aired on ABC would become the version aired in syndication (as well as superstations such as TBS and WGN) by Viacom[17] (as part of a Superman movie package that had included Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace until Warner Bros. took back the rights). Syndicated TV versions, though said to be the 105 minute version, includes the full "flying ballet" sequence from the international version.
What really peaked my intrest. What made me want to watch it was when I saw the actual disc. The cover says International Version. The disc, however, said Director's Cut. My mouth dropped. I thought who would even want to do a Director's Cut to this crap?
Now, lets be honest. I wasn't looking for a great film with the director's cut. Even in its original US version, I could tell the script wasnt much. Let's face facts. Supergirl was the first female superhero on movie screens. No one knew what to do with her so they made her "girly". The movie is written with a female sensitivity (which is lost on the US version) and therefor would never be made into a classic like the original Superman. I was basically expecting the same kind of film. Only longer.
How much longer? I didnt knew then. The box only had the International running time on it. So, I popped it into the player and pushed play.
Now let's look at the running for this film. We'll take the 124 min version as the original cut of the film and the 105 min version as the original US cut. 124 mins is 2 hours and 4 mins. Which seems pretty good for a film like that. 105 mins, however is 1 hour and 45 mins. Which means there's 20 mins difference. 20 mins is alot of time to be cut. Alot can be lost. Then when you take that 1hr 45 min version and cut it to 92 mins for television, you lose alot more.
So, I popped in the dvd and hit play. When the movie started, I hit display to see the running time and my mouth dropped.
138 mins!!!!!!!
THat's 2 hours and 18 mins.
Which means it's 14 mins longer than the International Version.
Its 33 mins longer than the US Version!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So i sat there, bewildered for a bit, trying to grasp how long this film really is and how much is different.
The difference is noticed right away. As we enter Argo City, we see several scenes that were deleted. Including one where Kara is in school and we discovered she's an idiot on her planet. (But a genius on our planet? Im insulted.) The whole Argo City sequence is longer. The scene where Selena is introduced was only 2 lines long in the original US verson. Here, it's close to two minutes.
More from wikipedia
Material that was cut for the 105 minute version of the film included the Argo City opening, which was originally longer.
Another cut scene is known as the "flying ballet". As Supergirl arrives on Earth, she is surprised to find herself capable of almost anything, especially flying. She can use her super-strength to crack rocks into dust, and use her heat-ray vision to help flowers grow.
Scenes concerning Selena, Bianca, and Nigel were also trimmed. In the U.S. version, Selena's introduction was merely a few lines long when the Omegahedron lands on Earth, and Selena takes it for use of magic. The full introduction establishes Selena as an impatient witch, who is sick of her mentor and lover, Nigel, who is himself, a warlock. Later scenes not seen before the 2000 DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment, include Selena using the Omegahedron for the first time, and realizing that she has no control of herself when under its influence. Selena later throws a party for all her followers, and deleted material shows Nigel insulting Selena after being dismissed. Nigel then gets friendly with another party member, whom Selena pulls a vicious magical prank on.
Other scenes involve Linda Lee making a temporary home in the city of Midvale, Illinois, an extended version of the tractor sequence in which the possessed machine runs amok on the Midvale streets and kills a civilian. Another cut scene was a clarification that proved Supergirl possessed her cousin's known vulnerabilities and limitations as well as his known superhuman powers: she cannot see where the Omegahedron is hidden because Selena keeps it in a container made out of lead. The Phantom Zone scenes are also longer. The broadcast television version has a scene not seen in either laserdisc edition: After Selena's defeat, Nigel is standing on the street. He bends over to pick up the Coffer of Shadows, now restored to its original, small size and decides to keep it as a memento. In another broadcast-only scene, after Supergirl flies off to return to Argo City, Ethan gets into his truck. He then stops to say goodbye to Lucy and Jimmy. Both scenes can be found in the director's cut.[18]
Now, this blog is very long so Im just going to stop there. But recheck out Supergirl. Even if its just the International Version. You'll change your mind.
http://youtu.be/79urQ-bkYvA
